Rotary hair combing device



June 4, 1968 w. A. ROBER'YI'S ET AL 3,386,453

ROTARY HAIR COMBING DEVICE Filed March 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG] I I I INVENTORS 5 38 56 37 24 32 43 W. A. ROBERTS ATTORNEY June 4, 1968 w. A. ROBERTS ET AL 3,336,453

ROTARY HAIR COMBING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1965 W. A. ROBERTS A. J. WQODELL United States Patent 3,386,453 ROTARY HAIR COMBING DEVICE William A. Roberts, 24 Eagle Ave., Paterson, N.J., 07503, and Arthur J. Woodell, 216 Madison Ave., Clifton, NJ. 07011 Filed Mar. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 439,224 6 Claims. (Cl. 132-11) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary power-driven hair combing device in which a relatively stationary housing has a handle extension and a side opening through which individual combs of a plural comb rotor may momentarily emerge to briefly comb the hair during each revolution of the comb rotor. The individual combs are spring-biased to active combing positions and are retracted into the housing by camming means.

This invention relates to a rotary power driven hair combing device particularly adapted for so-called hair teasing operations.

The object of the invention is to provide a simplified power operated hair teasing comb which will save much time in the usual tedious operation of teasing the hair in order to puff up the same. customarily, individual ropes of hair are held extended from the scalp and are reversely combed with a short reciprocating action by means of a conventional hand comb. The operation is slow and tedious and requires much time and patience. By means of the present invention, the hair on the entire head can be teased or treated in a mere fraction of the time required for the conventional operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hair teasing implement which is entirely safe to use, lightweight, adapted to be formed to a great extent from plastic and also adapted to be battery-powered when desirable.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the use of the invention for teasing the hair;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary partly diagrammatic perspective view further illustrating the use of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the invention on a somewhat enlarged scale;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged central vertical longitudinal section through the invention shown in FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a similar section taken on line 66 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a similar section taken on line 77 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7a is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 7 but showing an advanced position of the rotor assembly;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a casing and cam, partly in section; and

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FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the rotor assembly with parts omitted.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 15 designates a preferably plastic housing formed in two companion halves 16 and 17 secured together in any conventional manner. The housing has a forward cylindrical main body portion and a reduced cylindrical handle extension 18 preferably integral therewith, as shown. The body portion of the housing 15 has a larger substantially rectangular side opening 19 formed therethrough preferably bounded on its ends by radial guards or flanges 20 as indicated.

As best shown in FIGURE 4, the housing is provided internally with aligned sleeve bearings 21 and 22 for the journaling of a comb rotor assembly shown in its entirely at 23. The comb rotor assembly comprises a rotor body 24 which is generally cylindrical and provided with preferably four circumferentially equidistantly spaced generally radial longitudinal slots or passages 25. Each such slot 25 includes an inner cylindrically curved chamber 26 and outer abutment walls 27 and 28 which diverge from the chamber 26 and are arranged generally at right angles, the wall 27 being considerably wider than the wall 28, as shown. The rotor body 24 carries shaft extensions 29 and 30 at its ends, journaled respectively for rotation in the bearings 21 and 22.

The comb rotor assembly further comprises circular end plates or discs 31 and 32 having central openings 33 to receive the shaft extensions 29 and 30 preferably snugly. The inner faces of the discs 31 and 32 preferably have small projecting pins 34 for entry into small openings 35 in the end faces of the rotor body 24. The discs '31 and 32 are rigid wth the rotor body 24 in assembly.

The comb rotor assembly further comprises comb units 36 corresponding in number to the slots or passages 25. Each unit 36 includes a straight comb tooth body portion 37 and an integral cylindrical carrier rod 38 having an end extension 39 cut away on one side to form a slightly arcuate cam face 40 or notch. The carrier rod 38 l-ies rotatably in one of the cylindrically curved channels 26 and the comb tooth body portion 37 projects generally radially outwardly for coaction with the aforementioned abutment walls 27 and 28 in a manner to be further described. The end extensions 39 of each comb unit project rotatably through openings 41 formed in the discs 31 and 32, see FIGURES 9 and 10. The cam faces 40 project beyond the outer sides of the discs as best shown in FIGURE 4 and project across circularly curved cam surfaces or ledges 42 and 43 formed on the interior of the housing body portion at the opposite ends thereof. As best shown in FIGURE 5, the cam surfaces 42 extend for considerably less than a full circle and are interrupted by generally radial shoulders 44 and 45 which lie adjacent to the longitudinal margins of the housing opening 19.

The individual comb units 36 are biased to radially projecting positions where the comb teeth engage the abutment walls 28, FIGURE 7, by small torsion springs 46 surrounding each end extension 39, FIGURES 6 and 10. The discs 31 and 32 have their outer faces recessed at 47 to accommodate these springs and corresponding ends of the springs 46 are firmly anchored within small radial openings 48 of extensions 39, as shown. The opposite end extensions 49 of the springs extend into slot extensions 50 of recesses 47 and small axial openings 51 at the bottoms of the slot extensions 50, FIGURES 6 and 10. The springs 46 are contained entirely within the confines of the discs 31 and 32, as shown. The comb units 36 and their associated springs constitute parts of the comb rotor assembly 23 and all of these elements are adapted to revolve as a unit inside of the casing in the direction shown by the arrows in FIGURES 7 and 7a.

The handle extension 18 is hollow, FIGURE 4, and may contain a suitable motor 52 coupled with the shaft extension 30 as at 53 to directly drive the comb rotor assembly. If preferred, gearing may be interposed between the motor and the comb rotor assembly including a slip clutch device. A sutficiently slow speed motor may be employed without reduction gearing and without any clutch device as shown. Preferably, a battery 54 is mounted within the handle extension 18 and electrically connected with the motor in a conventional manner to power the same with direct current. Alternately, if desired, an alternating current motor in the handle may be connected by means of a wire with a conventional electrical outlet in the home. The alternating current arrangement is not shown in the drawings for simplicity but is contemplated within the invention.

The operation of the device for teasing hair is illustrated in FIGURES l and 2. While the motor is energized to turn the comb rotor assembly 23 in the direction of the arrows, the user grasps the handle extension 18 with one hand and holds a section of hair extended from the scalp with the other hand. The invention device is now placed either above or under the hair section with the opening 19 receiving the hair section either at the bottom of the implement, FIGURE 1, or at its top, FIGURE 2, as the case may be. In either event, the comb rotor 23 will be revolving toward the scalp as shown by the arrows in these figures. The user moves the implement gradual ly outwardly or away from the scalp while the comb teeth of the rotor are engaging the section of hair. After a single pass over the section of hair on both the top and bottom sides of the section, the hair will be adequately teased or puffed up to produce the desired hair styling. The operation is repeated with diiferent sections of hair in the same manner until all of the hair on the head is treated.

As the comb rotor assembly 23 revolves in the housing 15, each individual comb unit 36 will in turn pass adjacent the large opening 19 and will instantly spring outwardly to the radial position where the comb unit will engage the abutment wall 28. This is caused by the action of the two tors-ion springs 46 on each comb unit which have energy Wound therein, After traversing the opening 19 in the radially extended position, each comb unit 36 will have its teeth engaged the lip 55 of opening 19, and simultaneously the cam faces 40 will begin to engage the arcuate cam surfaces 42 and 43 of the housing. This combined action acts against the springs 46, which yield, and each comb unit 36 in turn will retract into the slot or passage as it passes beneath the shell of the casing 15. At this time, each retracted comb unit 36 will rest against the adjacent abutment wall 27, as illustrated in FIGURE 7 and *FIGURE 7a, for example, and this position will be maintained during movement through the housing 15 and until the comb unit again emerges at the opening 19, at which time it will spring back to the radially extended or active position indicated in FIGURES 3 and 4 and at the top of FIGURE 7. The action is continuous as the rotor assembly 23 revolves. Each comb unit in turn projects itself automatically at the opening 19 to the active position for a brief teasing stroke on the section of hair then being engaged by the device. This short stroke is characteristic of the hair teasing operation and simulates the manual method of teasing hair, Each comb unit in turn is then automatically retracted or folded beneath the housing wall during the remainder of its cycle or revolution, as explained. The operation is rapid and smooth.

The guards 20 tend to prevent hair from becoming entangled with the rotor structure and also serve to guide a given section of 'hair into contact with the comb teeth. The device tends to be self-cleaning by centrifugal force and by the rubbing action of the lip on the comb teeth.

The advantages and utility of the construction should now be fully apparent without the need for any further description.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention here-with shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, 'without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A hair combing device comprising a relatively stationary housing including a handle extension and having a side wall opening, a plural comb rotor assembly journaled within the housing for rotation therein, power drive means within the handle extension coupled with the plural comb rotor assembly to drive the same, said rotor assembly including plural circumferentially spaced combs pivotally connected thereto and a spring means connected with each comb and urging it to a radially projecting active combing position where the teeth of the comb project through an outwardly of said side wall opening during rotation of said rotor assembly, and a camming means on the relatively stationary housing coacting with a camming means on each pivoted comb to retract each comb to an inactive non-combing position inside of the relatively stationary housing when each comb completes its passage across said side wall opening during rotation of the rotor assembly.

2. A hair combing device as defined by claim 1, and wherein the relatively stationary housing is substantially cylindrical, and said plural comb rotor assembly comprises a generally cylindrical rotor body having circumferentially spaced peripheral recesses formed therein, each comb of the assembly including a rod portion rockably mounted in one of said recesses and comb teeth projecting radially of the rod portion, each recess of said rotor body having opposing side walls which limit the pivoting of each comb therein in opposite directions during the rotational cycle of said rotor assembly.

3. A hair combing device as defined by claim 1, and wherein said relatively stationary housing and side wall opening are elongated along the longitudinal axis of the hair combing device and handle and the teeth of said combs of the plural comb rotor assembly extend longitudinally of the housing and side wall opening, and a radially extending guard element on the relatively stationary housing at each end of the side wall opening and projecting radially beyond the side wall of the housing for a distance slightly greater than the projecting distance of the comb teeth when the combs are in their radially projecting active combing positions.

4. A hair combing device as defined by claim 2, and wherein said spring means connected with each comb is a torsion coil spring surrounding a part of said rod portion of each comb and having a connection therewith, each spring also having a connection with said rotor body.

5. A hair teasing apparatus comprising a cylindrical housing having a side wall opening and a handle extension, a rotor assembly in the housing, power means in the handle extension coupled to said rotor assembly to drive the same, said rotor assembly comprising a rotor body having slots and end plates having openings, comb units rockably mounted in said slots and having extensions within said openings, torsion springs within said openings connected with said comb extensions and urging the comb units to rock in one direction on the rotor body,

'5 6 cam faces on said comb extensions projecting beyond said References Cited end plates, and coacting cam faces on the housing engaging the extension cam faces near opposite sides of UNITED STATES PATENTS said side wall opening and around the remainder of the 246,323 8/1881 Lockwood 16-76 housing dmmference- 5 2 655 674 10/1953 Grover 15 23 6. The invention as defined by claim 5, and wherein 3,019,463 2/1962 Mitchell 15 23 said rotor body has a pair of generally radical abutment faces at the opposite sides of each slot, each comb unit adapted to engage said abutment faces at the opposite ex- LOUIS MANCENE Plzmary Exammer' tremes of rocking movement. 10 I. W. MITCHELL, Assistant Examiner. 

